31st pick (Blount/Davis/Walker deal)

[MN Die Hard]

I know this has been discussed, but I think its worth repeating on draft day.

So in addition to swapping Blount's bad contract (and Ricky Davis) for Walker's cap-friendly contract, the Wolves got a future Miami first AND their 2008 2nd, correct? Did the Wolves send any draft picks back at all?

McHale sure takes his share of abuse but nobody can deny how well he did in that particular trade.

[invno1]

Yeah, Riles is looking to get hosed again. Wilcox & Bayless for Beasley?

[D1SGRUNTL3D]

Nope. We send them no picks.

Ive said from day 1, this deal was rapage in part of the Wolves. I thought it was brilliant. Blounts a turd.

[deeney0]

No, the 2008 2nd came from the Wally/Ricky Davis trade. Boston had Miami's 2nd to send to us from when THEY traded Antoine Walker to Miami. It's very circular and weird, I know.

[4ho5ive]

We made out like bandits on that one. I maintain that this past year the FO seems to have their head on straight now that McHale isnt the only one making decisions. He can go fish while Hoiberg sits in his office taking calls and doing paperwork.

[buzzbomb]

We made out like bandits on that one. I maintain that this past year the FO seems to have their head on straight now that McHale isnt the only one making decisions. He can go fish while Hoiberg sits in his office taking calls and doing paperwork.

We have been kicking ass since the first Boston trade. And it is McHale. You really hate him so much that you blame him for all the bad and give him no credit for the good? He's a Minnesota boy for christ's sake. A gopher legend for cryin out loud. I guess it was Hoiberg talking Ainge out of Big Al, Gomes, Telfair,12 mil space and 2 #1's and turning stiff Green into Snyder. McHale was probably hanging from a tree throwing fecies. If you want to blame, blame Taylor. He's the one that hired McHale for a part time job then staffed the personel dept with nobody. If you went to a store and no one was there because they only had one employee, would you blame the employee for not being there 24 hours a day? Or would you blame the owner for not staffing his business properly? And Taylor forced the Hudson signing. Taylor signed the illegal J.Smith deal. You can't possibly overlook Paul Grant , but how about Sam and Erv? How about Spree? Big Al? Chauncey, who Flip ran off? And Ebi could have been good if Flip ever played him or KG would have taken him under his wing. An 18 year old kid all alone at the end of the bench. That was a crime. What did Mem get for Gasol? What did Sea get for Allen? McHale is not anywhere near the worst GM. Now that he has help, he has been great. HE has been great. And he's a Minnesota boy. Where are you from?

[Frozen316]

I maintain that this past year the FO seems to have their head on straight now that McHale isnt the only one making decisions.

Yay Fred Hoiberg?

[Kurosawa]

Hear, hear, buzzbomb--excellent post. It's about time someone with the balls to do it stepped up and gave credit where credit was due. McHale-bashing has become such a cliche that few if any pay attention to what's been going on the last year-plus.

Here's my take:

McHale's biggest weakness and greatest failure early in his tenure was his inability to assess and pay talent properly. He WAY overvalued and overpaid guys like Joe Smith, Mike James, Troy Hudson, Marco Jaric--the list goes on--and put us in cap and competitive hell as a result. And Taylor enabled him by not holding him accountable.

But the addition of Jim Stack and Fred Hoiberg have given McHale some sound and sensible talent evaluators on his staff, and over the past year to year-and-a-half, our FO has done as good a job as the top third of NBA front offices.

I will be shocked if the Wolves don't select either Beasley or Mayo tonight, and equally shocked if they don't keep them, or at least trade them for front-line talent.

[4ho5ive]

We made out like bandits on that one. I maintain that this past year the FO seems to have their head on straight now that McHale isnt the only one making decisions. He can go fish while Hoiberg sits in his office taking calls and doing paperwork.

We have been kicking ass since the first Boston trade. And it is McHale. You really hate him so much that you blame him for all the bad and give him no credit for the good? He's a Minnesota boy for christ's sake. A gopher legend for cryin out loud. I guess it was Hoiberg talking Ainge out of Big Al, Gomes, Telfair,12 mil space and 2 #1's and turning stiff Green into Snyder. McHale was probably hanging from a tree throwing fecies. If you want to blame, blame Taylor. He's the one that hired McHale for a part time job then staffed the personel dept with nobody. If you went to a store and no one was there because they only had one employee, would you blame the employee for not being there 24 hours a day? Or would you blame the owner for not staffing his business properly? And Taylor forced the Hudson signing. Taylor signed the illegal J.Smith deal. You can't possibly overlook Paul Grant , but how about Sam and Erv? How about Spree? Big Al? Chauncey, who Flip ran off? And Ebi could have been good if Flip ever played him or KG would have taken him under his wing. An 18 year old kid all alone at the end of the bench. That was a crime. What did Mem get for Gasol? What did Sea get for Allen? McHale is not anywhere near the worst GM. Now that he has help, he has been great. HE has been great. And he's a Minnesota boy. Where are you from?

Jesus relax. It was intended as a joke. I know Hoiberg isnt the one that has been making all the decisions. We are still trying to mold him for the future. Im sure McHale has had say on everything that has happened, but I have an easier time believing that our brain trust has had more of an impact as a whole than McHale suddenly turning it around and becoming a phenom. I didnt know Im not allowed to poke fun at "Minnesota boys"

[MN Die Hard]

We made out like bandits on that one. I maintain that this past year the FO seems to have their head on straight now that McHale isnt the only one making decisions. He can go fish while Hoiberg sits in his office taking calls and doing paperwork.

We have been kicking ass since the first Boston trade. And it is McHale. You really hate him so much that you blame him for all the bad and give him no credit for the good? He's a Minnesota boy for christ's sake. A gopher legend for cryin out loud. I guess it was Hoiberg talking Ainge out of Big Al, Gomes, Telfair,12 mil space and 2 #1's and turning stiff Green into Snyder. McHale was probably hanging from a tree throwing fecies. If you want to blame, blame Taylor. He's the one that hired McHale for a part time job then staffed the personel dept with nobody. If you went to a store and no one was there because they only had one employee, would you blame the employee for not being there 24 hours a day? Or would you blame the owner for not staffing his business properly? And Taylor forced the Hudson signing. Taylor signed the illegal J.Smith deal. You can't possibly overlook Paul Grant , but how about Sam and Erv? How about Spree? Big Al? Chauncey, who Flip ran off? And Ebi could have been good if Flip ever played him or KG would have taken him under his wing. An 18 year old kid all alone at the end of the bench. That was a crime. What did Mem get for Gasol? What did Sea get for Allen? McHale is not anywhere near the worst GM. Now that he has help, he has been great. HE has been great. And he's a Minnesota boy. Where are you from?

I was with you right up to the point where you said "And Ebi could have been good...."

[shrink]

I agree on the McHale deals.

He is light years better than the opinion of the average guy at a bar or rube chat poster.